Apparatus for making expanded metal brake shoe reinforcings



w. M. M NEIL 2,359,434

APPARATUS FOR MAKING EXPANDED METAL BRAKE SHOE REINFORCINGS Oct. 3, 1944.

Original Filed Feb. 20, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet l Oct. 3, 1944. w. M. MQNEIL APPARATUS FOR MAKING EXPANDED METAL BRAKE SHOE REINFORCINGS Original Filed Feb. 20, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 W. M. M NEIL Oct. 3, 1944.

APPARATUS FOR MAKING EXPANDED METAL BRAKE SHOE REINFORCINGS Original Filed Feb. 20, 1939 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented a. 3, 1944 2,359,434

APPARATUS FOR MAKING EXPANDED METAL BRAKE SHOE REINFORCIN GS William M. McNeil, Wheaten, 111., assignor to United States Gypsum Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Original application February 20, 1939, Serial No.

257,357, now Patent No. 2,256,000, dated -September 16, 1941. Divided and this application March 1, 1941, Serial No. 381,374

2 Claims.

The present invention relates to an improved apparatus for making expanded metal brake shoe reinforcing.

This application is a division of my co-pending brake shoe reinforcing constructed in accordance with one embodiment of this invention;

Fig. 7 is a side elevational view of the machine shown in Fig. 6;

application Serial No. 257,357, filed February 20, 5 Fig. 8 is a section along the line 8-8 of Figs.

1939, now Patent No. 2,256,000, issued September 6 and 7; and

1941. Fig. 9 is an elevational end view looking in the One of the objects of the invention is to prodirection of the arrows 99 in Figs. 6 and 7.

vide an apparatus for producin a laminated ex- Broadly speaking, the present invention relates panded metal brake shoe reinforcing in which the 10 to an apparatus for producing a laminated exvarious laminations are held in contact with each other by spot welding.

A further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for producing a special form of laminated expanded metal reinforcing in curved form, preshaped to fit the brake shoes with which it is to be used, the laminations of the reinforcing being attached to each other by spot welding at or near the ends of the brake shoe reinforcing, thus leaving the laminations in loose contact through the greater portion of the brake shoe reinforcing.

A further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for assembling, transporting, Welding, and shaping a laminated expanded metal brake shoe reinforcing by a continuous method so as to speed up the production and insure the manufacture of uniform brake shoe reinforcing of improved characteristics.

A further object of the invention is to provide a combination of mechanical means so co-ordlnated as to be capable of producing economically and rapidly the improved brake shoe reinforcing of the present invention.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent from the further description hereinbelow, the hereunto appended drawings, and the claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 an elevational view of a finished brake shoe reinforcing produced by the apparatus of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line 33 of Fig. 1 showing the spacing between the laminations on a somewhat exaggerated scale;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the two upper laminations of the product shown in Fig. 1 illustrating the relative position of the laminations;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of a fragment of a brake shoe, showin the central portion of the brake shoe reinforcing embedded therein;

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of a machine for assembling, aligning, welding, and shaping the panded metal brake shoe reinforcing which differs from that of the prior art in that the laminations are spot welded to each other. Hitherto this general type of reinforcing has been made by superimposing a plurality of layers of expanded metal, the diamonds of each layer being disposed at substantially right angles with the other layers,

, five laminations usually being employed, in which the two outermost layers had their diamonds running along the general axis of the reinforcing while the second and fourthlayers had the diamonds running crosswise or in. the direction of the shorter dimension of the reinforcing. Hitherto it has been customary to tie the laminations together by means of metallic tie wires, this being done either before or after the reinforcing had been bent into the curved shape corresponding to the shape of the brake shoe with which it was to be associated. It has also been customary in the past, after tying the laminations together by means of wire, to dip the entire assembly into a heavy oil or asphalt paint and then to dust or sprinkle the material with or tumble it in finely divided silica flour for the purpose of providing a coating of silica upon the entire metallic structure. The purpose of this was to prevent the destruction and burning of the brake shoe reinforcing when placed in the mold and when the molten iron was poured around it to form the finished brake shoe. Because of the fact that silica. is incombustible and nonvolatile, it would prevent actual interfusion between the metal of the reinforcing and the cast iron or mild steel of the brake shoe, the purpose of course being the maintenance of the reinforcing in the natural condition within the brake shoe. Should the latter crack in service, it might fall into the roadway, causing derailment of the train or other vehicle to which it was attached. The reinforcing prevents this from happening.

It has'been found that the use of wires to tie the laminations of brake shoe reinforcing together is not satisfactory and is insufiiciently rigid to maintain the laminations in accurate alignment with each other. As a result they tend to slide over each other causing abrasion. Furthermore, in the handling of the oil-asphalt-silica coated brake shoe reinforcing, abrasion of this coating often occurs, particularly also of the tie wire, so that bare spots form which, whenthe melted iron is poured around the brake shoe reinforcing during the casting operations, cause the wire to burn through, thus releasing the laminations from each other so that they are no longer distributed in the molten cast iron, (and hence in the finished brake shoe,) in the desired orientation and as a unit in which all the laminations are attached permanently to each other.

By the use of the apparatus of the present invention all of these difiiculties are solved at one,

time. In the first place, the laminations are kept accurately in alignment, and there is no danger of relative movement between the laminations, either prior to or during the casting operation.

Referring to Fig. l, which is a side elevational view of the laminated brake shoe reinforcing, it will be seenthat this consists of a plurality (in this case five) of individual pieces I 0, H, 12, i3 and Id of expanded metal. The same numerals have been retained, in the same order, in Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5. This reinforcing is bent to arcuate shape with approximately the curvature shown in Fig. 1. As can best be seen from Figs. 2, 3 and 4, the various laminations are arranged at an angle to each other, preferably at a right angle; for example, the upper layer I0, the intermediate layer l2 and the-lowermost layer have the diamonds of the expanded metal arranged longitudinally, while the intermediate layers II and I3 have the diamonds arranged at right angles to those of layers Ill, I2 and I4. As can best be seen in Fig. 2 at the points IS, the various layers are welded to each other wherever they happen to contact, this being accomplished by electric welding, as will be more fully explained forthwith. In Fig. 5 a fragment of the iron brake shoe i1 is shown having embedded therein the reinforcing consisting of the five layers IO-Il. Generally it is preferred to accomplish the welding only near the ends of the laminations, so that when the material is flexed or made arcuate there will be a very slight amount of play between the various laminations, as can best be seen in Fig. 3, although the space there shown is exaggerated. The purpose of allowing this small amount of play is to assure the flowing of all of the melted cast iron or mild steel around each and everyv portion of the reinforcing, so thatit will be thoroughly embedded, to act as a strengthening agent for the brake shoe.

The method adopted for-manufacturing the brake shoe reinforcing of the present invention is as follows: Suitable expanded metal is cut into strips which are respectively 2 x 13 inches and 13 x 2 /2 inches; that is to say, layers l0, l2 and M will be 2 x 13 inches and layers Ii and I3 will be 13 x 2 inches, the first dimension given being that along the lesser dimensions of the diamonds or mesh of the expanded metal, 1. e., across the diamonds. The various layers, as for example five in number, are arranged in substantially accurate alignment with each other and are then compressed so as to make good electric contact with each other, whereafter a suitable low-voltage but high-amperage current is passed through the different laminations, preferably near the ends of the assembled bundle, so as to cause electric welding wherever the various laminations, happen to touch each other. The method of accomplishing this'welding is well nected trough members 25.

known in the art of welding metals and need not be more fully described than is necessary in connection with the apparatus which will be described hereinbelow. .After the welding has been accomplished, the thus produced laminated structure is placed in a suitable mechanically operated press in which it is given the desired arcuate shape. It is however within contemplation of the present invention to shape the bundle first and then to effect the welding. The product thus .resulting will be a laminated expanded metal brake shoe reinforcing having the laminations attachedto each other by electric welding at their points of contact, at least near or at the ends thereof.

Referring now to the apparatus employed for the commercial manufacture of the product of the present invention, this is illustrated in Figs. 6 through 9 in sufficient detail to understand its principles, although it is to be understoodthat these figures are moreor less diagrammatic and are not intended to be working drawings at all but merely to exemplify the primary means employed for carrying out the process and for manufacturing the product of the present invention.

Referring to Figs. 6 and '7, these are respectively a top plan view and a side elevational view of a machine which is made up of suitable supporting framework .20 and 2| to which there is attached a conveyor 22 which runs over sprockets 23 and 24 located respectively at the left and right-hand ends of Figs. 6 and '7. Suitable means for adjusting the tightness or looseness of this conveyor are provided by adjusting screws 24a. Attached to this conveyor are a plurality of trough-like carrying members 25, of which but four are illustrated in the drawings, it being understood of course that thereis a large number of them. By reference to Fig. 8 it will be seen that these trough members consist of two side pieces which have cut-away portions 26 and 26' for the purpose of permitting the compression of the laminations, as will beexplained more in detail in connection-with the description of Fig. 8. The conveyor 1221s driven by a, suitable motor 21 through the intermediation of the drive 28 and 29 in such a manner that the conveyor will advance step by step, thus similarly advancing the therewith con- The workmen place the correct number of individual pieces of previously cut expanded metal into each of the trough members 25, orienting themas shown in Figs. 1 through 4. Under the influence of the 'motor 21 and the therewith connected drive, the

conveyor 22 will advance step by step in a direction. from left to right as shown by the arrows in Figs. 6 and 7, so that eventually one of the trough members will become between the divergently extending aligning members 3| and 3| which serve, under the influence of the advancement of the conveyor 22, properly to align the ends of the individual laminations which are still lying loosely on top of each other. This alignment is maintained on the further movement of the conveyor by reason of the fact that there are no further disturbing influences exerted upon the superimposed individual layers of expanded metal. When finally this assembled potential bundle .of expanded. metal arrives at the point 32 near the end of the machine, it will there encounter the instrumentalities which are illustrated in Fig. 8, to which attention is now directed, As will be seen from a perusal of the said figure, the trough members 25, with the laminated pieces or bundle 35 lying therein, arrive under the welding mechanism broadly designated 36. .This consists of the lower supporting bracket 31 which in turn supports the lower half of the welding member 38 which has a corresponding upper welding member 39 which in turn is connected by means of arm 40 with bracket 4| which is bolted to the plunger arm 42 which reciprocates within the cylinder 43 which is connected, by means not shown in the drawings, with a supply of suitable operating fluid, either liquid or gaseous. It is thus possible to elevate and depress the welding member so as to exert a clamping action on the edges of the bundle 35. The arms 44 also serve to press down the central portions of the assembled bundle 35 so as to insure close contact of the laminations with each other. It is to be understood that the welding members 33 and 39 are respectively connected with a suitable source of electric current so that when the bundle arrives in position under the instrumentalities broadly designated by 36 in Fig. 8, and during the halt of the conveyor 22, the bundle will be compressed sufliciently to force the laminations into electrical contact with each other, whereafter a suitable electric current will automatically be passed through the laminations near their ends, thus striking innumerable arcs at the point of contact, thus thereby welding the parts together. This method of welding is a well known operation and hence needs no detailed description. Immediately after the formation of the welds, the plunger 42 Will rise, thus releasing the arms 44 and the upper welding member 39 so that on the next movement of the bundle the now finished welded bundle will move one step farther on, thus placing a new bundle underneath the welding equipment. This operation thus is repeated for each bundle being made; in other words, as new bundles continue to arrive under the welding instrumentality, each bundle will be properly welded and made into a unitary structure.

A few steps further to the right (see Figs. 6 and 7) there is an ejecting and shaping device broadly designated 50, an elevational view of this device constituting all of Fig. 9. When the welded bundle 35 lyingwithin the trough 25 arrives at that point, an arm connected by means of the operating member 52 and solenoid 53, is automatically actuated so that the striking member 54 attached to the arm 5| will strike the end of the bundle 35, thus ejecting it into the slide 55 which directs it into the forming die 56 of the press 51, whereupon, under the influence of this press, which is operated from a suitable motor 58 and belt 59 and the therewith connected pulleys 60 and BI, the. upper punch member 62 will descend, thus shaping the entire bundle into arcuate shape. After the punch member 62 has returned to its uppermost position, the bundle can be removed either manually or by mechanical ejecting means associated with the press, so that it may fall either upon the floor or upon a suitable receiving table, which latter is diagrammatically illustrated at the left of Fig. 9 and bears the designation 33. There will thus be received upon the table 63 the welded and shaped reinforcings which are the subject matter of the present invention. Their aftertreatment consists in assembling them into a suitable dipping basket by means of which they are plunged into a bath of oil or asphalt paint.

thereafter being dusted with, or rolled in, silica flour to paint or coat them with finely divided silica for the purpose of preventing their being burned when employed in brake shoes, during the manufacture of which molten metal is poured around the reinforoings.

The apparatus therefore consists of means for carrying in step-by-step progression a plurality of assembled layers of expanded metal, means for aligning the ends of these layers, means for bringing the layers within close proximity of each other, means for electrically welding the layers together, means for ejecting the welded bundles from the machine, and means for giving the bundle the desired arcuate shape. It is to be understood however that it will be within contemplation of the invention to shape the bundles prior to welding, suitable modificationsall within the skill of the mechanicbeing made in the welding device shown in Fig. 8, so that it may accommodate an arcuate assembly in place of a flat one.

The invention is not to be circumscribed or limited by the precise orientation of the instrumentalities shown in Figs. 6 through 9, as these figures are purely illustrative of the fundamental principles upon which this invention is based and show the combination of the instrumentalities by means of which the expanded metal brake shoe reinforcing is fabricated.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for the continuous production of expanded metal brake shoe reinforcings which comprises a conveyor, a plurality of members extending transversely of said conveyor for receiving a plurality of cut blanks of expanded metal in stacked relationship, a support for said conveyor, mechanism for intermittently advancing said conveyor and blank-receiving members, guide members secured to said support on either side of said conveyor for aligning the end edges of said cut blanks stacked in said blank-receiving members as the latter are moved between said guide members, welding members arranged to clamp the aligned stacked blanks together adjacent said end edges when the motion thereof is intermittently halted by said conveyor, means for simultaneously passing electric current through the welding members and the stacked blanks whereby the blanks are welded together only adjacent the end edges thereof, and means for discharging the welded stacks from said conveyor.

2. An aparatus for the continuous production of expanded metal brake shoe reinforcings which comprises a conveyor, a plurality of trough members extending transversely of said conveyor for receiving a plurality of cut blanks of expanded metal in stacked relationship, a support for said conveyor, mechanism for intermittently advancing said conveyor and trough members, guide members secured to said support on either side of said conveyor for aligning the end edges of said out blanks stacked in said troughs as the troughs are moved between said guide members, welding members arranged to clamp the aligned stacked blanks together adjacent said end edges when the motion thereof is intermittently halted by said conveyor, means for simultaneously assing electric current through the welding members and the stacked blanks whereby the blanks are welded together only adjacent the end edges thereof, and means for discharging the welded stacks from said conveyor and trough members.

WILLIAM M. MCNEIL. 

